Koala Eco is a small family business that was established in Sydney, Australia in 2017, after husband and wife team Jessica Bragdon and Paul Davidson became frustrated trying to find safe, chemical-free, affordable cleaning products that actually worked. So, using Australian native plant essential oils they created antimicrobial powerful cleansers that create a sparkling clean home whilst leaving it smelling just like the Australian bush.
Challenge
After building a successful domestic presence, it was time to consider the export market. China was an obvious choice given Australia's proximity and China’s love for Australian products. Once a distribution partner was secured, it was time to tackle the digital landscape. This is where Sinorbis came in.
Solution
It quickly became clear that a strategic partner who knew the Chinese digital landscape was needed. According to Davidson, “The e-commerce sector in China is completely different. Unless you're a huge multinational with the resources available to set an office up over in China, I think you really need to find strategic partners that can help you.”
While agencies were considered, initial costs of up to $50k just to build a Chinese website plus ongoing management fees made it prohibitive. “Sinorbis was a fantastic solution because it was cost-effective, very quick and easy to use and the intuitive platform allowed us to manage this ourselves”, continues Davidson.
Plus Koala Eco wanted to retain control, so Sinorbis set up the domain, website and official WeChat account, all within a couple of months. Again, agency solutions involved handing over control to 3rd parties which Davidson was worried would leave their brand exposed, but the Sinorbis solution allowed control to stay with Jessica and Paul.
